Big polluters given almost €100bn in free carbon permits by EU https://t.co/w9kytRZ3Zh
— Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) November 29, 2022
Big polluting industries have been given almost €100bn (£86bn) in free carbon permits by the EU in the last nine years, according to an analysis by the WWF. The free allowances are “in direct contradiction with the polluter pays principle”, the group said. Free pollution permits worth €98.5bn were given to energy-intensive sectors including steel, cement, chemicals and aviation from 2013-21. This is more than the €88.5bn that the EU’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) charged polluters, mostly coal and gas power stations, for their CO2 emissions.Furthermore, the WWF said, the free permits did not come with climate conditions attached, such as increasing energy efficiency and some polluters were also able to make billions in windfall profits by selling the permits they did not use.
Over the last 9 years heavy industry was exempted from paying the carbon price under the #EUETS for over half of their emissions. No wonder their emissions have barely gone down. pic.twitter.com/CG7Hzh8nWZ
— WWF EU (@WWFEU) December 16, 2022
